Homeostasis Flashcards
What is homeostasis?
The regulation of the internal conditions of a cell or organism to maintain
optimum conditions for function in response to internal and external
changes.
3 Examples of conditions maintained by homeostasis?
Blood Glucose Concentration
Body Temperature
Water Levels
Two types of responses used by the body’s control systems?
Chemical
Nervous
What 3 components do all control systems have?
Coordination Centres
Receptors
Effectors
Function of a receptor?
Detects a change in the environment (stimuli)
Function of a coordination centre?
Receive and processes information from receptors.
Function of an effector?
Bring about a response to a stimuli to restore optimal levels.
2 effectors?
Muscles
Glands
Function of the nervous system?
Allows the body to react to its surroundings and coordinate an appropriate response.
How does a stimulus lead to a response by the body?
Stimulus is converted to an electrical impulse by the receptor.
The electrical impulse passes along the sensory neurone to the CNS.
The CNS creates an appropriate response and an electrical impulse is sent along motor neurones to the effectors which carry out a response.
Sequence of the nervous system?
Stimulus -> Receptor -> Coordinator -> Effector -> Response
What is a reflex action?
Automatic and rapid response not involving conscious input from the brain.
Why are reflex actions important?
To aid survival by preventing harm to the body.
Describe a reflex arc?
Stimulus detected by a receptor.
Electrical impulse passes along a sensory neurone to the spinal cord.
At a synapse between a sensory and relay neurone, a chemical diffuses across the gap and stimulates a new impulse that passes along the relay neurone.
The same process occurs at a synapse between the relay and motor neurone.
At the effector, an appropriate response is carried out.
Difference between a reflex pathway and a conscious pathway.
In a reflex pathway the coordination centre is a relay neurone in the spinal cord/unconscious parts of the brain.
In a conscious pathway the coordination centre is in the conscious part of the brain.
What is a hormone?
A chemical messenger secreted by a gland. It travels to a target organ where it causes a response.
What does a gland do?
Secretes hormones into the bloodstream.
What gland controls all other glands in the body?
Pituitary gland.
Role of the pituitary gland (3)
Controls human growth
Stimulates the thyroid gland
Stimulates the production of oestrogen in ovaries
Role of the thyroid gland (3)
Secretes thyroxine
Controls metabolism
Controls heart rate
Role of the pancreas (2)
Secretes insulin
Controls blood glucose concentrations
Role of the adrenal gland (2)
Secretes adrenaline
Stimulates fight or flight response
Role of the ovaries (3)
Secretes oestrogen
Coordinates the menstrual cycle
Develops female secondary sexual characteristics
Role of the testes (3)
Secretes testosterone
Develops male secondary sexual characteristics
Coordinates the production of sperm
What happens when the blood glucose concentration is too high?
Pancreas secretes insulin.
Insulin binds to the receptors on muscles and liver.
Causes excess glucose to be converted to glycogen and stored.
What happens when the blood glucose concentration is too low?
Pancreas secretes glucagon.
Glucagon binds to liver cells.
Glycogen gets converted to glucose.
Glucose released into the blood.
How is blood glucose controlled using a negative feedback loop?
When the blood glucose concentration rises or falls below the optimum a hormone (insulin or glucagon) is secreted by the pancreas. The hormone brings the concentration back to its optimum.
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Where the pancreas cant produce sufficient insulin to control blood glucose concentration.